Tess Collins

Date & Time: Mondays | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Fee: $12 JFG Members, $16 Non-members (per session)

For almost a decade, Tess Collins has been facilitating Mindful Movement experiences through 16 different countries' rooted cultures. She's excited to be sharing time with the San Diego community, connecting with surrounding nature, and continually researching what freedom in the mind/body can look and feel like, and from that, how to support & empower others through these various systems.

Open Level- anyone is welcome, from beginners to seasoned movers. Each class will be catered to your specific needs. We will meet in the lower gardens on the deck surrounding the beauty of nature to connect to our own inner nature. This class emphasizes grounding, building heat, an opening of the mind/body, exploring within, and relaxation. Elements include yoga asana (poses), qi gong and acu-pressure, release techniques, and meditation forms.

Diana Otalvaro

Date & Time: Wednesdays | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Fee: $12 JFG Members, $16 Non-members (per session)

Diana Otálvaro (Bhagti Kaur) is a passionate student of healing arts. After navigating different teachings over the years, the last 10 years she has dedicated her time and energy to Kundalini yoga, Gong, and Reiki as her principal modalities to support her and others’ life journeys. Kundalini yoga for Women, Yogic Numerology, Hatha-Kriya Yoga, and Raj Yoga, are other studies she has emphasized to cultivate her spiritual garden. Diana loves trees and considers nature as an essential healer.

Diana worked as a Forestry Engineer in Colombia, her home country. She moved to San Diego in 2014, and after graduating from her International Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training, she has been teaching kundalini yoga and meditation in different studios and collaborating in kundalini yoga trainings and retreats. Diana offers gong therapy and sound healing as well as reiki sessions to harmonize mind, body and spirit. She is grateful for family, friends, and community, where she learns and shares what she has learned.

Ruth Nazarian

Date & Time: Thursdays | 9:00AM-10:00AM Fee: $12 JFG Members, $16 Non-members (per session)

Ruth Nazarian discovered yoga decades ago when looking for a way to manage several autoimmune diagnoses and chronic stress. As she learned how to heal herself, a passion grew to help others on their wellness journey. With over 1,000 hours of training in various styles of yoga, meditation, energy work and stress management, Ruth enjoys guiding students to connect with their bodies, enjoy more freedom of movement, release tension and achieve deeper states of relaxation. Ruth is also a certified Nature Therapy Guide and outdoor enthusiast. For yoga guests at the Japanese Friendship Garden, she is teaching a gentle Hatha Flow that is appropriate for all levels. The class ends with a soothing sound bath that harmonizes with the garden’s natural symphony.

*Refunds or credits will not be given less than 7 days before the class